Editing Realpolitik (section)

===Germany===
{{Further|Politique}}
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-2005-0057, Otto von Bismarck (cropped).jpg|thumb|254x254px|[[Otto von Bismarck]], a German statesman often associated with ''Realpolitik'']]

In the United States, the term is often analogous to [[power politics]] while in Germany ''Realpolitik'' has a somewhat less negative connotation, referring to realistic politics in opposition to [[Idealism in international relations|idealistic]] (or unrealistic) politics. It is particularly associated with the era of 19th century [[nationalism]]. ''Realpolitik'' policies were employed in response to the failed [[Revolutions of 1848]] as means to strengthen states and tighten social order.

{{quote box|align=left|width=25%|fontsize=100%|quote="Politics is the art of the possible."<br />
<small>&ndash; Bismarck, 1867 interview</small>}}

The most famous German advocate of ''Realpolitik'', what was uniquely possible and the applied means to achieve it, was [[Otto von Bismarck]], the first Chancellor (1862–1890) to [[William I, German Emperor|Wilhelm I]] of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]. Bismarck used ''Realpolitik'' in his quest to achieve Prussian dominance in Germany. He manipulated political issues such as the [[Schleswig–Holstein question|Schleswig-Holstein question]] and the Hohenzollern candidature to antagonise other countries and cause wars if necessary to attain his goals. Such policies were characteristic of Bismarck, demonstrating a pragmatic view of the "real" political world.

Another example was his willingness to adopt some social policies of the socialists such as employee insurance and pensions; in doing so, he used small changes from the top down to avoid the possibility of major change from the bottom up. Likewise, Prussia's seemingly illogical move of not demanding territory from a defeated [[Austrian Empire|Austria]], a move that later led to the unification of Germany, is an oft-cited example of ''Realpolitik''.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal |last1=Pflanze |first1=Otto |title=Bismarck's "Realpolitik" |journal=The Review of Politics |date=1958 |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=492–514 |doi=10.1017/S0034670500034185 |jstor=1404857 |s2cid=144663704 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1404857 |issn=0034-6705}}</ref>